Post by guillaume on May 21, 2009 16:57:39 GMT
The scandal is not new, but the Report is. As you know, it is all over the place now, and the medias are getting angry. "Evil Monsters" said the Daily mirror.
Are they right ? are they wrong ?
This publication makes me sick for two reasons. First the reaction of the secularist world which will actually "abuse" of the "abuses", taking their gun and shot to all things Catholics. But second, the Report itself, which - if true - makes me sick in the fact that all those abusers, brothers, nuns, priests, didn't bother once about the real meaning of Charity, of Jesus. They provided a wrong, very wrong side, of what God is. They didn't act as missionaries or apostles but sadistic gardians of a religious goulag for kids.
I cite the Independent :
PS : DEAR atheists friends, this a subject regarding the Catholic Church of an extreme seriousness and sensitivity. Please, for the moment, abstain to intervene. Thanks.
Are they right ? are they wrong ?
This publication makes me sick for two reasons. First the reaction of the secularist world which will actually "abuse" of the "abuses", taking their gun and shot to all things Catholics. But second, the Report itself, which - if true - makes me sick in the fact that all those abusers, brothers, nuns, priests, didn't bother once about the real meaning of Charity, of Jesus. They provided a wrong, very wrong side, of what God is. They didn't act as missionaries or apostles but sadistic gardians of a religious goulag for kids.
I cite the Independent :
Ashamed
Primate of All Ireland Cardinal Sean Brady said he was “profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in these institutions”.
He added: “Children deserved better and especially from those caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ.”
The commission found the harshness of the regime in these institutions was ingrained in the culture of the schools and corporal punishment was the option of first resort for breaches of discipline.
“Prolonged, excessive beatings with implements intended to cause maximum pain occurred with the knowledge of staff management. Individual Brothers, priests or lay staff who were extreme in their punishments were tolerated by management,” the commission found.
The commission found that instead of investigating complaints, the department “sought to protect and defend the religious congregations and the school”.
Documents uncovered by the commission found that sexual abusers were often long-term offenders who repeatedly abused children.
When confronted with evidence of sexual abuse, the response of the religious authorities was to transfer the offender to another location.
The Conclusions
- Physical and emotional abuse and neglect were features of the institutions.
- The congregations' failure to manage schools led to institutional abuse.
- The "deferential" and "submissive" attitude of the Department of Education towards the congregations compromised its ability to carry out its statutory duty to monitor schools.
- Financial "commitments" made by the religious congregations allowed the industrial school system to thrive.
- More kindness and humanity would have gone far to make up for the poor standards of care.
Physical Abuse
- Regulations regarding use of corporal punishment were disregarded.
- Industrial schools depended on rigid control by means of severe corporal punishment to survive.
- Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from.
- Children who ran away were subjected to extremely severe punishment.
- Complaints by parents and others made to the Department of Education were not properly investigated.
- Corporal punishment in girls' schools was "pervasive, severe, arbitrary and unpredictable".
Sexual Abuse
- Sexual abuse was endemic in boys' institutions.
- Long-term offenders repeatedly abused children wherever they worked.
- When confronted by evidence of sexual abuse, religious authorities responded by transferring the offender to another location where, in many cases, he was free to abuse again.
- Congregational authorities did not listen to or believe people who complained of sexual abuse in the past, despite extensive evidence to the contrary.
- Older boys sexually abused younger boys and the system did not offer the abused boys protection.
- A culture of silence prevented sexual abuse by members of religious orders being brought to the department's attention.
- The Department of Education dealt inadequately with sexual abuse complaints.
Neglect
- Poor standards of physical care were reported by most male and female complainants.
- Children were frequently hungry and food was inadequate, inedible and badly prepared in many schools.
- Children went cold because of inadequate clothing.
- Accommodation was cold, spartan and bleak. Sanitary provision was primitive.
- The standard of education in industrial schools was consistently poorer than in outside schools.
- Industrial training served the institutions' needs rather than the children's.
Emotional Abuse
- Disadvantaged, neglected and abandoned children were subjected to disturbing level of abuse.
- The system made it difficult for individual brothers, priests and nuns who tried to respond to emotional needs of children in their care.
- Witnessing the abuse of other boys and girls had a harrowing effect on children in the schools.
- Separating siblings and other restrictions on family contact were profoundly damaging for family relationships.
PS : DEAR atheists friends, this a subject regarding the Catholic Church of an extreme seriousness and sensitivity. Please, for the moment, abstain to intervene. Thanks.